In communication systems, a chip refers to a pulse of a code, and the chip rate of a code is the number of pulses per second (chips per second) at which the code is transmitted or received. In wireless communication systems, chip rate and carrier frequency are independent and set to precise values by relevant standards. In traditional analog-based transmitters, chip and carrier frequencies are decoupled. This decoupling is not problematic as up-mixing of the baseband signal in the RF chain translates the signal to a carrier frequency.
However, in digital RF systems employing noise-shaped modulators (e.g., bitstream generators or the like), the carrier frequency is related to the clock frequency of the modulator. Therein lies the need to provide methods for securing precise carrier frequency positioning of a digitally-generated RF signal.